The Bachelor
by All4Jazzy
Summary: Young, vibrant, millionaire Jasper Cullen is a successful business man and a very eligible bachelor—and quite handsome. He agrees to be the next Bachelor on the hit ABC TV show, & seeks love from twenty-five more than willing male suitors who will do anything for his hand in marriage-of course one green-eyed man catches his eye, but will he get the final rose? SLASH Version-ENJOY
1. Chapter 1 THE NOMINATION

SLASH FIC. I decided to do a unique slash version of The Bachelor. I haven't seen a slash version of this yet so let's have some fun. Enjoy.

A/N: Twilight characters belong to SM. The plot belongs to me. Enjoy.

Emmett's POV (this chapter): The Nomination

"I finally got those two rascals down for the night."

My gorgeous wife strutted across our bedroom and crawled into bed beside me. I peeped at her over my glasses and smiled as she tenderly kissed my lips. She was _so _damn sexy. It just didn't make any sense for one woman to be so amazingly beautiful. Her body was a brick house, yet painfully sensual. I could hardly stand to be next to her without savagely attacking her. Sometimes I swear I wanted to bite her neck, and suck every bit of that sweet nectar from her body. I was so lucky to have her. She moved on the bed and our lips parted. We both started yawning. Fatigue was quickly settling in.

Admittedly, it had been a long, tiresome day at the gym, but hey, I didn't have any complaints. I loved working out and the rush it gave me was worth every bit of the hassle that came with running my own business. '_The Bears Den' _had proven to be a wise investment for us both physically and financially. It kept our bodies tight, and our wallets full thanks to my little brother Jasper sending all that big shot, high rolling business my way. He constantly fed us and in exchange he could work out for free anytime he wanted to. He even had his own key.

Rosie was thoroughly exhausted too. Likewise, Jasper spoon fed _"E-Clips," _her salon and spa, high profile business as well. Thanks to him, she always had more customers than they knew what to do with in one day. Her day had been just as pack and busy as mine, only she'd rushed to pick up EJ and Dale from her parents, and flew hope to feed them and get them ready for bed. It was good they were only two and four and not in public school yet. Our sons were our pride and joy, but they were certainly a handful. Once they started school, juggling schedules was definitely going to complicate our hectic lives.

She looked over at me typing away on my laptop. "You still working on invoices, babe?" She asked, staring at the screen. She was making me swoon with that Victoria's Secret strawberry scented lotion that she was smoothing on her arms; not to _even_ mention that ball-busting lingerie she was wearing.

I smiled at her and tried to refocus on what I was doing. "Oh, no, no. I'm just sendin' in this application for Jasper."

She looked curious. "What kind of application?

"I'm nominatin' Jasper for _'The Bachelor."_ She looked at me like I'd just slapped her. "You know the show on ABC? The one where the guy gets to choose from twenty five hot girls?"

"Yeah, I know the show." She said, closing the cap on her lotion. "But _why_ are you nominating Jasper? In case you have _forgotten_, your brother prefers something a _little_ harder than the female body."

I nodded and wagged my finger at her. "Exactly. Babes…the face of America is changin.' We have an African-American president, women are in control of the Senate, and same sex partners are legally allowed to be married in Connecticut and Washington State. It's now legal to smoke pot in some places! ABC has jumped on the bandwagon and is now airin' a gay version of the show. Depending on how this goes off, they will do a lesbian version next season."

"Okay, Boo Boo, where does Jasper fit into this?" She asked, pushing my head to the side.

"Well, Yogi…" She rolled her eyes at my quick comeback. "My little brother has been firmly out of the closet for a few years now, AND, sadly he's firmly single. Translation—the boy ain't gettin' none. _So…_I decided to sign him up for an opportunity to bite off twenty-five pieces of sexy ass."

She rolled her eyes again. "Emmett, I swear sometimes I think you were born brainless."

I cackled and kept typing.

"You can't sign him up for that." She protested.

"Like hell I can't." She inched closer to me so she could take a closer look. 'Sides I'm not signin' him up. I'm just nominatin' him. He will appreciate it. Don't sweat it, babes."

"So you didn't ask him first?" She looked doubtful.

"Nope." I kept typing.

"Emmett! Jasper is going to kill you. You should at _least_ ask him first." She said.

I ignored her. "Okay, look here. It says to fill out this nomination form and send it to them with recent pictures. Jasper is a major hottie, AND, because I'm the best big brother he has, I have lots and lots of pics that I _own_. It's perfect. I'll just send 'em in and they will be blindsided. They won't have a choice but to pick him. He's flawless."

"Em…" She cautioned. "Those are Jazz' pictures."

"They are hubbin' in my digital camera. _So…technically _that means that I can do whatever I want with them. And right now I want to send 'em in and get my little horny brother on that show."

She pointed to the screen. "Honey, it says you have to include a video of yourself telling them why you'd like to be on the show! Duh! You don't have a video of Jasper!"

I tapped my forehead indicating my bright idea. "I don't have to have one of Jazz if I'm nominatin' him! Think Rosie! I already videoed myself talkin' about why I think he should be on there. It's right here." I pointed to my hard drive and laughed. "All I have to do is email it. It's a rap."

"Em, I think that is a _stupid_ idea." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Oh come on Rosie! Makin' a video is the best way to talk about Jasper's personality and ensure that he's seen by the castin' team! It will be great."

"Jasper isn't going to like this." She cautioned again.

"Will you relax? Trust me Rosie. Jasper has been sayin' he's ready to start datin' again. It's been over _two_ _years_ since him and Peter split. He's ready for somethin' new. A fresh piece of ass will put pep in his step."

"You are really serious about this, aren't you?" Her blonde tresses swept her shoulders as she shook her head in utter disbelief.

"As a tornado in a trailer park! I know my brother. His little millionaire ass will be all over this…or should I say all over twenty-five other asses?"

"Ugh!" She hit me with her pillow, and then fluffed it on her side of the bed. She settled in nicely, giving me a great view of her nicely rounded rear end. "Go to sleep Emmett."

"I will in a minute. I'm almost done." I smacked her ass, toying with the lacy G-string. That thing was calling my name. _Emmett, Emmett, take me off!_

"Ow." She yelped. "Really?"

"It's that pink thong baby. Gets the best of me every time."

"Ugh!" She groaned again. "When Jasper starts kicking ass, I had nothing to do with this."

"Don't worry." I mumbled something about what I was reading on the screen. 'Sides…if I go down, you go down."

"Humph." She said pulling our white down comforter snuggly around her neck. "I'm not in that."

"So they say they don't return the videos, but if the video and nomination is accepted, they will call him for to come to one of their local castings. That would totally rock if they could meet him in person. They'll love him as much as we do."

"Mmmm…hmmm." She mumbled. "Whatever you say."

I finished sending in the nomination and video, along with several pictures of my kid brother. Rosie could say what she wanted to, but I loved that kid and I was tired of him being lonely. Peter had really hurt him, and he deserved to move on and to find happiness, even if it meant going on a national television show to find it. A little adventure and fun couldn't hurt him. He needed to loosen up a bit, and if I knew Jasper, he would be up for this…well…I guess he would be. He would probably protest…kick and scream a little…maybe even break pieces of his shoe off in my ass, but hey; all that mattered was that I get him to agree to go to the casting if they called him. Once he found that nice little hottie to lay or settle down with, he'd thank me for the rest of his life.

A/N: Well there's the first chapter. Emmett has nominated Jasper for the role as lead man in the upcoming season of The Bachelor. I'm really looking forward to Jasper meeting these eager suitors…How do you think Jasper will respond to Emmett's nomination?

Please review.


	2. Chapter 2 THE LEADING MAN

All rights belong to SM. The errors belong to me.

A/N: Well I'm slowing the pace for this chapter so that we get a brief intro of our leading man, Jasper Cullen. I wanted to lay a bit of foundation before he gets his deliciousness to LA for this show. I wanted you all to see what his personal life consists of. He seems to be a hardworking, very considerate and generous man who is looking for love. Let's hope he finds it when he gets to LA.

Jasper's POV-The Leading Man

Success was a beautiful, yet humbling accomplishment. I didn't lust after it, but certainly worked hard for it. Today was successful. After a hectic week of meetings, time constraints and deadlines, and rugged hassling, Cullen & Platt came out with the victory flag before four o'clock on this gorgeous Friday evening. After all of the collaborating with CEO-level executives all week to develop and implement breakthrough business strategies for their companies, they'd finally accepted our proposal, and the fact that their acceptance came with a hefty payoff for us was a delightful bonus. Yes…success was indeed beautiful as were my plans to sit on my blessed assurance and do absolutely nothing this weekend. Other than having dinner with my parents tonight, I was looking forward to lounging around in my house and watching my 60 inch.

Since I was one of the original founders of Cullen & Platt, and shared partnership with my father and uncle, they'd named me CEO of the company. That meant long hours and several drinks when I got home. My older brother Emmett had dubbed me as "the snobby big boss man," but actually I was quite the opposite. I was extremely compassionate to my subordinates. I truly cared about them and while I was in charge, I led our Fortune 500 Company with an ethical and gracious hand. That didn't mean I couldn't be firm when I needed to, but I chose to treat everyone with dignity and respect. Although I had a keen business mind and believed in my personal motto that a 'job well done was a job done well,' the last thing I wanted to do was come across as a pompous, self-righteous prick who lived only to strike fear into the hearts of my subordinates.

I usually didn't bother with the nitty-gritty hiring and firing, but I pretty much ran the show at Cullen & Platt. I was in charge of setting strategy, company goals, and making the high end decisions. This came with huge responsibility, so I usually ended delegating many of my powers to my father and uncle. They rarely questioned my judgment, but when they did, they did so free of fear of retaliation. I was very sensitive to other people's emotions, and knew how to set people at ease so that they had no problems approaching me about something I was or wasn't doing.

I was a fair employer and never considered myself untouchable or having unchecked power. Although I was basically the top dog, I had to answer to our board of directors and the other two partners in the company. In short, I owned some power around here. It didn't own me, and more importantly, I loved my job.

Emmett had often accused me of flying around in my private jet or cruising in my sports car all day. He swore by God that the only work I did was twirling in my office chair as I sat staring at my amazing view of the city while daydreaming of vacationing somewhere. Yesterday he was accusing me of sloshing and not knowing my employees names. It was a good thing I knew the truth about my professional relationship with my cohorts and that Emmett would rather tease me than breathe. I knew everyone who worked for my company. From the top to the bottom, no one worked in my building without being introduced to me first.

Emmett's portrait of me was quite errant and stereotypical. In reality, many considered me to be a nice, down-to-earth guy, a far cry from lazy or crude. He'd pegged me with a reputation of living luxuriously, which I had to admit that while I did prefer nice things, I never behaved like I was better than anyone. To most people, I was just an average All-American guy. I enjoyed having fun and playing sports, mostly swimming and football, and sought out many outdoor activities.

Having been born and bred in Texas, I held my southern values to heart. Because of my charismatic personality, I'd always made deep tracks wherever I went on my personal life journey. In high school, I was valedictorian, student body president, homecoming king, and captain of our state championship swim team my senior year.

I graduated with honors from Harvard University, majoring in History and Literature, where I took interest in studying the Civil War and the Confederate army. After college I'd worked in the US Embassy in Mexico. While there I became fluent in Spanish as well as Portuguese. I later earned a MBA at Harvard Graduate School of Business.

During the summer, I'd worked as an analyst in the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President of the United States. I loved to travel and be adventurous, which was probably why Emmett accused me of dazing off on a faraway island somewhere. I took regular vacations. It was good for my spirit.

I wasn't particularly a religious person, but I did believe in God and I believed that he must have really liked me for some reason. I was blessed. I was blessed with a wonderful, close knit family. I loved them dearly, especially my two little nephews. As a matter of fact, when I'd purchased my nine million dollar condo, I'd secured it with them in mind. They loved hanging out with me and I made sure that my home was spacious enough to accommodate all of us.

My family was important to me. We shared a strong bond, especially the men. These were bonds that had been linked to my beginnings and were guides to my future. When I was with my family, I felt loved and accepted—like I was a part of something. They valued and respected my opinion. When I came out to them several years ago, I just knew they would banish me forever. Instead they loved me and nothing changed. I was still very much an integral part of my family.

My roots took hold and grew with my family. I was molded within a unit, which prepared me for life's experiences, and how I reacted to those experiences. Values were taught to me at an early age and I have carried them throughout my life. The close family bonds were a safe harbor where I found refuge.

From trusting that someone will pick me up when I fell, as a toddler, to someone being there for me as I experienced the storms in life, the family bonds helped to instill my sense of trust and hope in the world. Rituals of bedtime stories, hugs, holidays and daily meals shared together, provided a sense of warmth, structure and safety. Those rituals and traditions; not only created memories and left a family legacy, but created my first path in life-a very positive path.

My spirit blossomed in my family unit. I had always had security and influence of strong family which was the ground work that was laid for my success today. It made me the man who I was today. It made me a better person. I loved people. Human nature was not a curse in my eyes. I accepted people and the flaws that came with them. People around here accused me of being too compassionate because I was that boss that gave you five chances before I had to let you go. I gave so much of myself to others more often than not. I volunteered at the local children's hospital and donated generous amounts of money because I believed in the sanctification and glorification of human life.

I loved children. I saw them as our inheritance—our legacies. I couldn't wait to become a father. When I was child, my father was my entire universe. He had always been a solid force in my life and I loved him dearly. My mother was no different. She was a strong pillar in my life. It was so amazing to know that I had been blessed with two very remarkable people as parents. When I came out and told them that I was gay, they looked at me as if they thought I was the one with a problem with my sexual orientation. I said "_I'm gay_", and my father literally said, "_And?"_ Only to be followed by mother saying, _"So what? I've always known."_ They were a great bunch to call family.

My family had always fostered healthy relationships. They made sure I grew up having a positive self-image so that I wouldn't isolate myself from my peers and that I wouldn't harbor any negative energy or anger or pain inside of me. They've protected my emotional well-being as well as my physical well-being and they still did. I think that they mostly did it because I was still single. There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't talk to both of my parents and my brother. My father and I worked out daily with Emmett and I went to my parents' every day after work to eat or to spend time with my mother. I even occasionally allowed her to drag me on shopping trips and just because I loved her, I always bought whatever she wanted.

I was close to everyone from my parents to my fourth cousin. We often had get-togethers just to hang out. I loved having them over to my bachelor pad or just going to my great aunt's house and sitting with her while she fed me stale cookies and sweet tea. In summary, I was an extremely blessed man.

My parents never worried about money because even though my father earned a lucrative salary as a partner, I made sure that they never had lack or need of anything. I did the same for Emmett and his family. He owned a gym and Rosalie own a spa/salon combo, so my company paid for memberships for every employee that wanted to join. They didn't have a lag in their business at all. In addition to this, I gave them generous gifts and made sure my nephews had trust funds and college funds as well. I was all about family and I didn't take the value of family bonds for granted. I could only hope that this feeling would intensify once I was married with my own husband and kids.

A real romantic, I wanted to be married. I wanted a husband that I could make feel special. I only wanted to propose once, be married once and live in a faithful family life, like my parents, who had a loving 24-year union. I had a clear vision of what my life would be like with that one special man. I thought I had this with Peter, but unfortunately that relationship didn't work out the way I wanted it to. I'd reached a point in my life where I just wanted to have a family of my own where I was a provider and a lover of a husband who would share children with me, who would in turn fill our home with love and laughter. I was eager to be a supportive husband that would encourage my husband to chase his dreams, as well as be someone who he could rely on to help him through good and bad times. Quite simply, I needed a best friend, and I would love a big family and to adopt a child along with having my own so I could pass along the values I was taught to them.

As I prepared to leave, my desk phone rang. I checked the caller ID and it read, _"Dallas General Hospital Cancer Center."_ I answered on the second ring.

"Hello." I responded, straightening my desk. I was no stranger to the hospital and my presence there was always welcomed. I'd given them my desk number and my cell phone number so it was no surprised that they would be contacting me. "Cullen Consultants."

"Hi, Jasper. This is Kate Garrett calling from the Cancer Center over here at the hospital." Kate was very polite and formal, but I didn't know why. She and I had become quite acquainted since I'd been spending a lot of time there.

"Hi, Kate. How are you?" I asked.

"I'm doing well. Thank you. How are you?"

"Doing just fine. Very glad that this work day has come to a close."

"I hear you." She laughed. "It's certainly going to be a beautiful weekend. Well listen, I know you are trying to get out of there, so I won't hold you too long."

"It's quite alright."

"Well, little Talia has been itching to talk to you today. I tried explaining to her that you are a very busy man, but it's hard to get a six-year old to understand why her…let me see how to put this…her favorite story teller, bear snuggler, and boo-boo fixer can't speak to her."

I laughed. Talia was a regular patient at that children's ward of the hospital and I usually visited her whenever she was admitted there. I had seen her two days ago and I guess she must have started missing me. It was truly a delight to spend time with that little girl. She had such a beautiful spirit and I couldn't help but feel compassion and genuine love for her. She was precious and every time I was around her, I had a renewed perspective on life. She was a stage-four cancer patient, and that beautiful child made me want to live every day to the fullest. She'd taught me how to truly be thankful for life and health. That was why I had no qualms about spending so much of my free time with her.

Talia's parents did not object to me spending time with her since I was a verified volunteer of the hospital. They'd had problems paying all of the medical bills Talia was accruing for both inpatient and outpatient services. I was privy to this information because I was always around the hospital, so I'd obtained permission to set up a special medical fund for Talia so that every one of her bills and medications would be covered. Her parents never had to worry about that. I knew it was hard on Talia's father trying to work and care for her, and especially her mother who had to quit her job, so helping with the medical expenses helped alleviate some of that pressure.

This past Christmas I'd visited Talia in the hospital, and I noticed that the little family was celebrating their holiday in her room. It was so touching to see them surrounding their very ill young child. They were unaware that I was near and I'd overheard them discussing their personal bills. I immediately dismissed myself from their private affairs, but later discussed with the mother that I'd accidentally overheard and that I wanted to do something for them. She broke down when I told her that I wanted to pay off their mortgage. She just couldn't believe someone would be so generous to her family. They tried over and over to deny me this, but I insisted and they finally agreed to allow me to help them. They'd tried to repay me, but I wouldn't hear of it. Helping that beautiful family was the least I could do in return for all of the blessings that had been bestowed upon me.

"Well she can certainly talk to me any time she gets ready. I have dinner plans with my family at six-thirty, so let's see…" I looked down at my watch. "It's four-thirty now…so I'll see you in about thirty minutes."

"Oh, that's sounds great. I won't tell her until you get here so she will be surprised."

I laughed again. "Okay. I'll be there shortly."

"Okay. See you soon."

I finished gathering my belongings and headed out the door. I saw my father getting into the elevator and flagged him. He held it until I got there.

"Hey, son. I thought you would have been gone by now." He smiled and winked at me. My father was very handsome if I had to say so myself. He was fifty years old, but he looked like he was a forty-year old model. With that shimmering blonde hair and those liquid blue eyes, he could have easily passed for Zeus' younger brother. Mom didn't know it but he was the office eye candy with the ladies. He didn't give them a second glance, but he knew the women salivated over him. He made good use of that gym membership over at Emmett's and kept those muscles firm and chiseled. Maintaining that slender, athletic build was easy for him as he was a health freak and was always trying to get me to eat and drink something that was akin to dog shit and grass.

"Yeah, I just had to get it together. Then I got a call from the hospital. My special little patient has requested my presence." We laughed and the elevator opened. "It seems that I have a way with the ladies after all."

We strolled down to the parking garage. "Indeed. Well, I'm very excited that little girl has found friendship with you. What a treat." He beamed over at me.

"Thank you, Dad."

"No need for thanks, son. It is the truth." We reached our vehicles. "By the way; that was outstanding and brilliant work today. You have made this company very, very happy, but more importantly you made me proud."

That was my Dad. Always validating me. I loved him. "Thanks, Dad."

He hugged me. "I love you, son." His words were somewhat lost in my shoulder. He told me that every day. "More than you know."

We pulled back. "I love you too. I'm going to go see Talia and then I will meet you guys at the Roadhouse at six-thirty."

He nodded. "Sounds great. Oh and I should probably go ahead and warn you that your mother has invited Eleazar and Carmen." I shook my head in agreement. "Peter will be there."

My head rolled. I groaned in frustration. "Ah, damn."

"I know, son, but Jasper they are our friends. I know that you and Peter had some issues, but you guys are still friends right?"

"Yes, Dad, but…" My voice trailed off as I shook my head in disbelief.

"But what son?" He asked brushing lint off of my suit. I exhaled and hesitated. "Jasper, you know you can tell me anything. You know I'm a black hole. What you tell me stays with me."

I exhaled again. "Dad, it's just that I was so in love with Peter. When he left me for Marc, I was crushed. I've tried to maintain friendship with him, but because he was my first love it is very hard to sever those ties."

"Is he still with Marc?"

"As far as I know. I don't discuss his relationship status with him. I haven't talked to him in months. I just know that the last time we talked, he seemed like he was happy so I didn't bother trying to upset that love nest. I've accepted that Peter and I weren't meant to be anything more than friends. I've put those feelings away. It took me a while to get over him and to mend. He left me cold and brokenhearted, but I finally got to a place where I don't hate him for it anymore. I've forgiven him and I've moved on."

My father nodded. "Jasper, you still have feelings for him. I hear it in your voice."

I just stood there looking at him willing my eyes not to mist with tears. Dad observed my struggle and stroked my arm.

"Son, acknowledge that you have those feelings, confront them, and handle them properly. Otherwise, when your Mr. Right comes along, you will have difficulty forming and maintain a solid relationship. You said it yourself. Peter was your first love. Jasper you don't get over your first love any kind of way. Yes the two of you may go your way, but you will always love each other on some level."

He was right. I did love Peter. At one point I'd been so in love with him, I would have done anything for him. Loving Peter had been the most beautiful experience of my life. I was always optimistic when I was with him and I didn't think it was possible to love another person so much. The feelings I had for him were very difficult to describe. The best way I could even come close to explaining it was a subtle feeling that occurred in me when he looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. His smell, the way his voice rose and fell when he talked and laughed, the whimsicalness of his words that made me want to hang on to every one of them…everything about this man had commanded my soul to love him. Our relationship had been beautiful. It wasn't just his physical appearance that attracted me to him, or that fact that he could make love to me in such a way that I would have to try to remember my name afterwards. That played a huge part in our relationship initially, but our love was more than physical. It was spiritual and emotional.

"You're right, Dad. It just hurts." He cupped the side of my face and I gently brushed his palm with my face. I could always count on my Dad. "I'm no longer in love with him, but I do have feelings for him. I mean…I care if he gets run over by a semi."

Dad chuckled. "Well I'm pretty convinced that he'll avoid a semi and be present tonight. So be prepared."

I groaned again. "Is he bringing Marc?"

"I have no idea."

"Oh, I'm sure that will just be the highlight of my coveted Friday evening bliss."

Dad laughed again, wagging his finger at me. "Oh, no, no, my dear son." I raised an eyebrow at him. "That won't be the highlight of your evening."

I'm sure he recognized that I was obviously confused by his statement. "Oh. And just what pray tell will be more entertaining than my Ex and possibly his lover showing up to have dinner with me?"

"Emmett."

I shrugged. "What about him."

"He will be there."

"Great. I want to see my little munchkins anyway." It was true. I hadn't seen the boys in a few days and I missed them.

"I don't think it will be so great once you find out what he's up." He looked apologetically at me. "I couldn't talk him out of it. I tried but you know your brother."

I grunted. "Dad? What did Emmett do?"

Dad put his stuff in the backseat and closed the door. He opened the door on the driver's side and put one leg in as if he was preparing to run for cover. Seeing the look on my face he climbed all the way in and locked the door. He cracked the window just enough so I could hear him but not reach inside to snatch him out of there when he told me what my brother had done.

"Dad?" I asked again. "What…did…that big beefcake do this time?"

Dad started the engine and put it in reverse. "Jasper, I'll allow him to fill you in tonight, but you will definitely want to be there when he tells you he's nominated you to be the next Bachelor on the ABC television show, and they will probably be calling you."

I saw red. "HE DID WHAT?"

Dad started moving in reverse. "See you tonight son."

"DAD!" He was almost completely out of the space now. "DAD! THAT IS NOT FUNNY!"

He drove off yelling. "See you at six-thirty! Love you!" All I heard was wheels burning a little rubber as he gave that slick Mercedes a slight punch of gas.

I just stood there watching him turn the corner and leave. "Well damn! What the hell?"

A/N: Well there you have it. A glimpse of Jasper personal life, his views on work, religion, family, money, and relationships. He's also been hurt by Peter ( ) Maybe he will find true love on the show.

I think Jasper is pissed. I love Carlisle for going ahead and telling him before they got to that restaurant. AN ex and a dumb ass brother…that ought to be an interesting dinner. I hope you enjoyed, if you did please review.

Next up: Emmett explains why he nominated Jasper…after Jasper tries to put his foot in his butt. Also what does Peter have to say? Is Marc with him? Stay tuned.


	3. Chapter 3 EXPLANATIONS OF A BROKEN HEART

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight characters.

A/N: I decided to give a little more background into Jasper and Peter's relationship before we see his little visit with Talia. I figured it will be necessary to understand what happened so that later we can understand how important it is that Jasper finds true love and be careful about who he chooses. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy.

Jasper's POV

My brother had done many ill-advised, bone-headed things in his life, but signing me up for a leading role on The Bachelor was just plain dumb-squatted. I mean, _seriously_. My love life was lifeless indeed, but I certainly wasn't about to broadcast it on national television and end up looking like a whining, pathetic fool. It just wasn't going to happen. If I knew my big brother, he was dead serious about this. He was all over this. Where the king of dumb ideas got the idea in the first place was beyond my comprehension, so trying to decipher how his brain rationalized such a crazy thing was a waste of time and energy.

I parked my car in my reserved space at the cancer center and got out quickly. In spite of the ridiculous bombshell my father had just dropped on me, I was very excited to be visiting little Talia today. She was always a breath of fresh air and I couldn't wait to play with her. It only took minutes for me to enter the building. I nodded to a couple as I passed by them, and gave a playful wink to a cute guy standing near the admission desk. He seemed to be checking me out so I decided to play into his hand. He smiled at me, but I kept walking.

I slipped one hand into the pocket of my black trousers, and smiled to myself. I imagined there was a pair of gorgeous blue eyes following my tight, flexing muscles as I walked down the corridor. I pressed the 'up' arrow on the elevator and gazed down at the grey tile flooring. The familiar dinging sound didn't take long to alert me that my wait was over. When the door glided open, I turned and as I'd expected, the blonde cutie was still watching me. He smiled, and being the polite southern gentleman I was, I returned his smile and winked at him once again. I saw him blush and then the elevator closed.

_Nice!_

There was another gentleman on the elevator and I nodded my greeting. I crossed my arms over my chest, exhaled, and dropped my chin to my chest. My mind wandered back to my mindless older brother. I shook my head in total disbelief. Emmett of all people knew just how broken Peter had left me. He'd deserted me and left my heart in a barren wasteland of despair. It took me a long time to purge that man from my system and honestly he wasn't completely out of it.

From the beginning of my break up with Peter, I had been completely honest about my true feelings for him to myself and my family. I had to be in order to survive the crushing blow that he'd dealt me. I was insanely in love with him before he broke my heart. I still cared for him and the connection was still there, but I wasn't sure if I was _still_ in love with him.

I felt a strong bond between Peter and me. We always looked out for each other, and our love was supposed to last forever; or so I thought. Peter had decided that he'd outgrown me and found 'love' in Marc. Well at least he had the decency not to bring Marc to the apartment that we shared at the time, and he did tell me after he slept with Marc for the first time. I still got butterflies in my stomach and became jittery when I was around him, so therefore I stayed at a comfortable distance from.

Peter been my lover, but more importantly my best friend and I craved everything about him. Honestly, if he were to ask me to take him back, I wasn't positive that I could deny his request. I probably wouldn't, because after digesting so much pain and heartache, I couldn't trust him anymore. Although he'd been the love of my life, he represented a source of destruction for me. He held the pieces of my broken heart, but I'd accepted that I obviously wasn't the man for him and I had to move on with my life without him in it.

I got off the elevator, nodded to the gentleman again, and slowly made my way to Talia's room. I slipped my hands in my pockets and thought about how great it would be to have a love like that again. After Peter, I doubted I could ever find that again. The breakup with Peter had blindsided me and was totally unexpected. I wasn't prepared to deal with that so therefore I wasn't prepared to think about trying to find that love again. I just assumed that Peter and I would get married, have children, and grow old together. That was a dreamed we'd both shared and communicated daily with each other. He'd told me that he couldn't wait for us to be married, to buy our first home, and start 'making' babies. He would tell me how much he couldn't wait to come home to me and our children and spend quality family time together. I wanted the same things. That was what hurt the most about all of this. I just couldn't understand at what point his feelings had changed.

He'd thrown away every hope of a future together like it meant nothing to him. He didn't care that he'd vanquished those precious dreams and fed them to the sewers. That shit hurt like nobody's business. Even now as I neared Talia's room, I felt tears stinging my eyes. I didn't know how it was even remotely possible for me to still care for him. I guess it was true that love was a complicated emotion. I wasn't sure, but what I _was_ sure about, was that my heart was afraid of loving someone like that again. I just couldn't risk being hurt like that again.

Peter may have gone through the normal stages of a breakup, but I sure as hell didn't because apparently he'd forgotten to clue me in on the fact that our relationship was about to dissolve like sugar in hot water. The first stage of the split involved dissatisfaction. That meant that one or both of us would have grown dissatisfied with our relationship. I certainly wasn't dissatisfied, so he could take all of the blame for that. Then there was the exposure stage where both of us would have to be mutually aware of problems in our relationship. Again that was something I'd obviously missed. Like every couple, we had disagreements and difficulties from time to time, but someone had forgotten to clue me into any serious problems Peter and I had. As far as I was concerned, other than the occasional argument about being unorganized or not washing dirty dishes, we just didn't have those kinds of problems—or at least that was what I thought.

Peter and I never negotiated resolution to our problems, because again I never knew that any existed and he never told me, _so_ there wouldn't have been a reason to do this. He saw a problem obviously, but he didn't even _try_ to resolve it and just left me. Who knew? I had wracked my brain trying to understand why he would have failed to try to rectify any issues or to seek further solutions and apply these to our relationship. Other than the obvious explanation that he just didn't want me anymore, I drew blanks every time.

After we separated, we left our apartment and I moved in with my parents for a few months. I was glad that I did, because they really helped me get through the breakup. They told me that the one thing that was keeping me from moving on was the fact that I was holding on to false hope. I wanted Peter to come back and I would have gladly rushed back into his betraying, waiting arms. That was how much I loved him then, but I knew holding on to the hope that Peter and I would reconnect was causing me to be stuck in limbo.

The end result of my false hope was a double-edged rejection sword. There was an initial sting that originated from the humiliating and defeating rejection he'd given me. Then came the heartbreaking hope that he would return. Finally the clarity came. I eventually accepted that Peter was with another man, he didn't regret leaving me, and that he was gone for good.

All of the pain could have been kept short and sweet and I could have recovered more quickly if I had learned to accept his mind-blowing decision to leave me early in the game. By waiting around and hoping, I had trapped myself in an endless circle of torture. In order to get myself out of that cycle and recover enough just to eat and sleep again and go to work, I stopped feeling sorry for myself and blaming myself. I had been beating myself up, trying to find one hundred reasons why I had caused a great man to leave, when in reality I had done nothing to cause it. That was entirely his decision and no fault of mine.

Shortly after I moved in with my folks, my father encouraged me to destroy everything that reminded me of Peter. That was one of the most heart-wrenching things I'd ever done. Because I had allowed myself to remain trapped in a limbo state of mind, hoping that Peter would come running back with kisses and renewed promises, I had refused to let go of the many memories and material things that Peter and I had shared. Admittedly, when I was in front of the men in my family and my friends, I'd claimed to be over the breakup and swore that my boyfriend no longer meant a thing to me. That was such a cover-up. If someone had asked me to throw away all of the love letters and pictures, I would have politely refused. Why? Because in the unlikely event that he returned, I wouldn't have had to start a whole new photo collection. That was a reasonable explanation, right? At least that was the lie I'd allowed myself to believe.

My father had encouraged me to grieve as long as I needed to. He didn't pressure me but was rather patient with me. He'd listened, hugged me, and supported me one hundred percent. He'd even slept on my bed with me a couple of nights in the beginning just to make sure my mind was in an emotionally stable and safe place. Dad understood, but would always reassure me that there would be another man and all of that stuff would become meaningless. In part, he was right, but after I burned all of the memorabilia, my heart yearned for Peter even more. I didn't even have a picture to remind me of his beautiful smile. I was so devastated.

My parents, against my better judgment, encouraged me to find my own place. It wasn't that they were tired of me living with them, but they were convinced that it would be an empowering move and would advance my recovery. Once again they were right. Finding a condo kept my mind occupied. Once I moved in, I started rearranging the new furniture around the house and that helped me stay focused. It felt good to start over. The new feel to the rooms, especially the bedroom, helped me moved past old memories and begin to build new ones. My parents were right. The new setting was very therapeutic.

Finding roots in family and friends again was also helpful. I had fallen in love with Peter, and while I had not neglected my family, I did spend most of my time with him. I wasn't necessarily a victim of blind love, but I did spend an incredible amount of my time with my man. This limited the amount of time I got to spend with them. In the end, however, once Peter dumped me, I realized the importance of my family and friends.

I started having them over to the house for get-togethers, and of course Dale and EJ were always over. They kept me busy and I found ways to incorporate them as well as the rest of the gang into my life. Spending time with my blood—the people who stuck with me through the tough times—was a sure way for me to recover from the breakup quickly. It served as a reminder of who I was before my relationship with Peter started, and the people I loved the most encouraged and helped me to get back on my feet. This was exactly the kind of push I needed in my situation.

Prior to buying my new place, my performance at work had taken a nasty downward fall. I couldn't concentrate and my Dad and Uncle picked up most of my slack. They finally told me that I had to take some time off to pull it together. Once I did that, I was able to sort through the muck and come back with a renewed mind and strong sense of purpose and focus.

That was another turning point for me. I refused to let the actions of one man dictate the way the rest of my life was going to turn out. I guess every man in the history of breakups felt that his was the most traumatic. The truth of the matter was that breakups always followed a similar pattern, and life continued. I stopped thinking about how badly I'd been hurt so I wouldn't continue to hurt. I got over the self-abuse and guilt. I was determined that I would get through it and became proactive in helping myself get over Peter.

My father, the awesome man he was, told me that the sweetest revenge was to be successful, but truthfully he was an advocate for Peter and me to at least find some form of friendship after this. He felt like that would really help and in the end put me on top as the bigger man. I wasn't even _trying_ to hear all of that. Peter had just walked out on me and I wasn't feeling trying to start up a friendship with him.

Repairing my ego was not an easy task because of the heavy blows it had taken. The last thing I wanted was to get back into the dating scene and suffer the consequences of the rejection that come with it—I would have taken it too personally. The solution to repairing my ego had been to start off slowly at first. I started making new friends and doing outdoorsy type stuff such as sports and hiking. I took dance lessons with my sister-in-law and my mother, and to keep my body nice and tight, I religiously trained at Emmett's gym. Keeping my body in shape gave me the confidence I needed to meet new men…if I decided I wanted one. I still didn't feel comfortable and had yet to decide to get back into the dating game. I hoped that since I'd recovered somewhat, I wouldn't look desperate once I did—and that's _exactly _what going on The Bachelor would do. It would make me look silly and desperate.

I decided to stop by the restroom before I went into Talia's room. Once inside, I chose my stall and proceeded. When I finished, I exited and washed my hands. I wondered what Peter would think of me tonight when he saw me. I'm sure he was going to want to know what I have been doing with my life. Since he'd left, I'd became CEO, founded a few sister companies, and was making a boat load of money for the company and myself. I was much better off financially, psychologically, and physically than I had been when we were together. I'd matured and gained a lot more wisdom. I knew exactly what I wanted from life and from my partner, and I had the love of a great family and lots of friends.

I couldn't prevent Peter from leaving me desolate and alone, but I had definitely learned to control the fallout of the situation. I had dried my eyes and was working on becoming a better man. I had become the master of my own fate and the captain of my soul. When Dad told me that Peter was going to be at that dinner possibly with Marc, I wasn't sure how I would handle that and I still wasn't sure. I was prepared to face Peter, but I couldn't be sure I would be able to face both of them. Nevertheless, I would make every effort to be there and show Peter that I had survived. I didn't even know why he was going to be there. Was he there to flaunt his new love and break me down even more? Was he there to apologize? Either way, Peter would see that what didn't kill me made me stronger.

A/N: Poor Jasper. Peter was crazy to let him go. I'm glad that Jasper has moved on, but sounds like he still has a little bit of left over baggage. I know it takes a while to get over your first love, if you ever really do. Jasper is going to have to sort all of this out and resolve his trust issue so he can find true love. I wonder if going on the Bachelor is the right thing for him and if he will be able to embrace the process fully in order to completely get over Peter and move on. He's moving on, but I think Peter has been holding him back and keeping him from giving his heart to another man who will love him.

Next up: The visit with Talia and then dinnertime. Please review.


	4. Chapter 4 Confrontations

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight Characters.

Jasper's POV

I made it to Talia's room, and knocked gently on the wooden door. Her eyes gleamed when she saw me. "Jasper!" She reached her little arm out to me. There were tubes everywhere. I smiled back to her and immediately pushed Peter and my woes out of my mind. Her parents were there and they smiled back me. We exchanged greetings and I walked slowly over to her bed making sure to sanitize my hands before I touched her.

I leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Hey squirt." She giggled. "How is my favorite princess today?"

She was radiant. "I'm fine, but I have to tell you a secret."

I pretended to be surprised. She _always_ had to tell me a secret. "Really? And what's that?"

"I'm probably not going to be in here very long?"

"That's wonderful news." I told her. "How exciting is that huh?"

She nodded. She was so full of glee that I couldn't resist absorbing some of it. "Yes, and guess what?"

"What?" I smiled and winked at her parents who were watching our little exchange. "You have more great news?"

She bobbed her head again. She didn't have any hair because the chemo had taken it all out, but she was the most beautiful little girl I knew. "Dr. Greg says I am going to be all healed up. All of the bad cancer is gone away."

I smiled but I couldn't be sure if she was actually telling the truth. I mean she was six and had an imagination that surpassed that of a child her age. I looked to her parents for validation of her statement and they smiled and nodded.

Swallowing back my emotions and keeping my voice steady, I pinched her nose. "Well, I am so glad to hear that and to see you smiling and happy today. That is the best news I've heard in a very, very long time."

She giggled again. "Did you miss me?"

"Oh…oh…you have no idea how much I've missed you. I mean…seriously…like I couldn't even think about anything else today. I kept asking myself, I sure wonder if Talia knows how much I'm missing her right now."

She laughed. "Yeah, and I was missing you all day too 'cause you're my friend! Did your boyfriend miss you too?"

This bundle of innocence rendered me speechless. Before I could respond, her mother scolded her. "Talia! That's none of your business."

I raised my hand to stop her. I was curious as to how this little one knew I would have a _boyfriend_ rather than a _girlfriend_. She registered the confusion on my face. Like I said…she was smart for a six year old.

"The walls talk around here." Her voice was whimsical. She shrugged. "They tell everything."

I nodded. "Ah." I pulled her up in the bed and sat down beside her. "Well, Talia. What exactly do the walls say?"

Her mother got up and walked over to the bed. "I'm so sorry about-"

I raised my hand again. "It's quite alright." I smiled at her. "She's no bother."

She pursed her lips and gave Talia a look. "I'm sorry Jasper. I don't want to get into trouble with Mommy."

Still curious as to how these people knew of my sexual orientation, I continued to reassure them that this conversation was acceptable. "It's okay. To answer your question Talia—I don't have a boyfriend right now."

I smiled genuinely at her and tried to steal a peripheral glance at her father. He was obviously uncomfortable with my acknowledgement that I wasn't _straight,_ but he remained silent.

"Why not?" She asked.

_"Talia…"_ Her mother warned again.

I chuckled softly and dropped my chin. I tucked her blankets neatly around her. _"Be-cause-"_ I deliberately dragged the word and her little eyes brightened. "I haven't been looking for one."

"But don't you want to find your prince and have a fairy tale wedding and live in a big castle and ride on white elephants into the magic kingdom to live happily ever after?"

I laughed softly again. "Oh, but of course. But I don't know about riding on elephants."

"Are you afraid of them?" She asked innocently.

"No. I'm not afraid. They're just _really _big." I told her, tickling her nose. "And when did elephants become white?"

"I saw them on the Animal Planet."

"Ohhhh."

She scratched her head and adjusted something on her arm band. "Well, maybe giraffes then." She said. "'Cause they're really big, but…but smaller than elephants."

"Mmm…hmm."

"And you have to have a fairy godmother to make all of your wishes come true." She nodded once for emphasis. "So when you get married, can I come to see the fairies at your wedding?"

"Talia!" Both of her parents scolded her this time. I just laughed. "That's enough of all that." Her father told her. She frowned and it was obvious they'd hurt her feelings.

I leaned to whisper to her. "I will tell you this. If your Mom and Dad says it's okay, you can come."

She beamed. "Oooh and can I ride the elephants and giraffes too?"

I laughed and stood up. "Well…uh…about that..."

She bounced on the bed and looked around at her parents. They just shook their heads at her juvenile innocence. Her mother started straightening her covers. "Well, if and when Jasper meets someone special, _and_ he invites you, then we'll have to see about riding elephants and such."

Her Dad laughed. "I don't know about all of that."

"Daddy." She whined. She crossed her arms and pouted as if I were getting married tonight.

"You have to first get better and get out of here. Then we'll see." He said.

I winked at her. "Well, Talia I have to go, but I will come visit you tomorrow. Here…" I picked up a gift I had for her. "I bought you a new friend." I handed her the giraffe that I'd purchased in the gift center on my way in. "His name is Rex."

"I knew you liked giraffes!" I laughed and she took it from me. "Thanks."

"You're welcome sweetheart." I hugged her.

She squeezed the giraffe to her small chest. "He's pretty just like you."

I laughed out loud.

_Wow. That's just great. A six-year old thinks I'm pretty and not handsome. I'll have to work on that._

"Thanks, Talia. I try really hard."

She giggled. "So what are you going to do tonight?" She asked.

"Talia is so nosy. I swear." Her father said, huffing a little bit. I just smiled at him. I'd pretty much lost him when his daughter inquired as to whether or not my _boyfriend_ had missed me today, but since his daughter and I were so fond of each other, he let it go. "Talia quit asking people so many questions."

"She's alright. I love her. She's not bothering me at all. Please allow me to answer her question." I politely requested.

He nodded his assent.

"Talia I'm having dinner with my family and some friends. I'm really dreading going though."

"Why?"

"Because my brother is going to try to make me go on television and I don't want to do that."

"You're going to be on TV!" She bounced excitedly on the bed. "Cool!"

I waved my hands. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm not going on TV. Emmett wants me to go on this show called The Bachelor."

"Oh really?" Talia's mother piped. "I love that show."

"Well apparently he does too. He wants me to go on there." She gave me that 'but-you're-gay' confused look. "It's the "alternate" version." I clarified her silent questions. "For men."

"Oh. I see." I heard Talia's father huff under his breath. "Well you should go. You would be a great bachelor."

"Thanks, but I don't know about all of that."

"Jasper, but what…but what do you have to do on the show?" Talia asked me. I could already see how this was going to go.

I cleared my throat. "Well, um, I will be, um…"

_Oh boy._

"I will be looking for a prince." I decided to play into her vivid imagination. "I will have to pick one out of twenty-five."

"You get twenty-five princes!" Her eyes were wide.

I laughed and shook my head. "No. My brother wants me to go on the show but I don't think that's my cup of tea."

"Jasper, you should go find a prince. Then I can come see the fairies at your wedding and ride the big elephants."

I bent and gave her another kiss on her forehead. "Well, your parents haven't agreed to that and I don't know about going on that show. I'm sure Emmett will be ready to give me all the reasons why I should go." I clasped my hands. "So with that said, I'm going to leave now so I can join them."

She reached out for me to hug her. "Thanks for coming to see me. I love you Jasper."

I squeezed her little body to mine. That just touched my heart. "I love you too, cupcake. You be sweet and do everything they tell you to do in here. I promise I will come back and see you tomorrow."

"Okay. I will." I released her. "Jasper, you're going to find a prince real soon. You know how come I know?"

"Why is that sweetheart?" I asked.

"'Cause you're really nice and pretty people get married and have a lot of babies." Every adult in the room laughed as a nurse walked in.

"Well, thanks baby girl. I hope so." I blew her a kiss and she sent me one back. "Bye-bye now."

"Bye Jasper. Remember you promised to come back tomorrow." She reminded me.

"I know I did pumpkin and I will be here. Don't worry. You just have a good night and have lots of sweet princess dreams."

"I will. See you later." She bid me farewell. I blew her another kiss and she 'caught' it. I waved to her parents and walked out. Once outside, I exhaled and headed towards the elevator. While I was waiting for it, the gentleman that I'd seen earlier in the lobby was waiting too. He smiled at me and I returned it. Our little moment was interrupted by a woman who was getting on the elevator with a couple of teenagers. When the door opened, I allowed the woman and the girls to get on first, and after my admirer got on I stepped in beside him. I heard his breath hitch when he inhaled my Clive Christian No. 1 cologne. I let my hands slide smoothly in my trouser pockets and stared at the floor. Even so, I still managed to watch him from my peripheral vision. I could tell his head was swooning and I bit my lip to prevent myself from laughing. Truthfully, he was having a similar effect on me. He was very handsome. The elevator reached our floor and I patiently waited while everyone got off. I allowed him to go in front of me and I took a moment to check out his assets.

_Nice. Very, very nice. _

I didn't necessarily think that I was the most handsome man walking around, but judging by the way this guy was ogling me I was beginning to think otherwise. Peter had often told me that there were no descriptive words to describe me, but he had a sketched record for lying so I didn't know if I could truly believe him. I guess I was the strong, silent type. I stayed mostly to myself, but I was just an ordinary guy. I could be rough, strong, and sensitive at the same time. He liked that I could take charge and be in control, yet be so submissive when I wanted to be. He was all over that; totally crazy for that sort of thing. I shook my head remembering how he would wait for me to come home wearing a power suit and then get off by watching me to submit to him. Admittedly, that was quite the turn on for me as well.

My admirer's car was parked on the same deck as mine, so I listened carefully to the sound of his shoes gently tapping the concrete as we walked. He finally broke the silence.

"That's a nice scent for you." His confidence was astounding and sent a nice even flush of heat to my face. "Very sexy."

_Mmph!_

I glanced over at him and smiled crookedly. "A man's scent can often be a silent treasure." I shot him a dose of my own confidence and smiled cockily when he blushed redder than I had. "A treasure indeed."

"Touché." He said.

I reached my Ashton Martin first. He seemed impressed. Strike one against him. I liked nice things, but I didn't like guys who seemed too intrigued by the material possessions I owed. It was a weird quirk, but that was just the way it was; even with Peter who I had showered with material gifts. I loved that Peter appreciated the fact that I loved nice things, and vice versa, but he didn't have to have those things to exist…to love me. Maybe I was being unfair to this man. Maybe I was misconstruing his interest with just appreciation for finer things. I shrugged it off. It didn't matter anyway because he was about to be history.

He stopped when I walked to driver's side of my car. "Cain Holcomb. I've seen you here before. I'm one of the physicians here."

I smiled when he introduced himself. I extended my hand and he gladly took it. "I'm Jasper Cullen." His eyes went four shades brighter with recognition of the Cullen name. We were prominent among professionals throughout this city so it was no surprise that he knew who I was. He seemed embarrassed. "Nice to meet you." I said politely.

He smiled. "I'm very sorry about…_that_ earlier."

"Ah. There's no need to apologize."

He blushed again. "Well you have a great weekend."

I laughed and held my palm out. "So what am I? Off limits or something?"

He waved his hands in front of him. "Oh no. Nothing like that. It's just that your company is one of our biggest sponsors. Flirting with the CEO would probably not set well with our board of trustees."

I nodded sideways. "Right." I opened my door and got in.

He came over to the car, so I let the window down. "It's really a shame though." He was watching me like I was something to eat. Maybe that's what he wanted to do—eat me.

I buckled my seatbelt and he boldly leaned into my window. "Quite a shame."

I gripped the steering wheel with my hand and prayed my eyes didn't betray me. As much as I wanted to deny that I was turned on by a total stranger, I couldn't. I swallowed and resisted any movement that would avert his attention to my lap where he would surely see just how interested I really was.

"Well, you have a good weekend." I managed.

He smiled and paused. "You too." He was so damn sexy. I was becoming painfully uncomfortable. He backed away and watched me as I backed out and headed towards the exit. While I waited for the cashier to scan my pass, I adjusted my crotch for relief. The cashier didn't seem to notice my subtle action, and truthfully the relief felt so good. I took my free parking pass and receipt from the cashier and left.

I had brought a change of clothes, but I didn't have time to change before I went to the Roadhouse. I'd expected to have more time, but it was alright. I would just go in my work clothes. It was already a quarter after six and I was going to be stuck in traffic for at least twenty minutes. There was definitely no time for changing clothes, so my current garb would have to suffice.

As expected, thanks to the hectic rush hour traffic, I arrived late. I way overdressed for the Roadhouse but oh well. I parked the car and headed for the crowded restaurant. Seeing Talia was a great way to start the weekend and I was excited to see my nephews. I looked around the restaurant for my family. I saw Dad waving to me and I headed in their direction. It didn't take me long to see Peter sitting there with a gentleman sitting beside him. I assumed that was Marc. He appeared to be about my height, with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He was the most casually dressed person at the table with shorts and t-shirt on. I'm sure that didn't set well with Peter. He didn't mind jeans and a button down, but he couldn't stand real informal attire when we went out. He never told me what to wear, but he didn't hesitate to express his disapproval.

I unfastened my coat and strolled towards the table. Peter was stunning as I remembered him. My heart was racing and I suddenly felt the heartbreaking pain I experienced when he left me. I steadied my breath and slowed down. I couldn't let him see me like this. My dad didn't give me enough time to prepare for this little soirée and I was totally caught off guard. I was not looking forward to Peter flaunting his date in front of me. I mean the nerve. His parents were there and I could understand why _he_ would want to come, but to bring his lover. What the hell? That was just a slap in my face. It was bad enough that he'd left me for this man, but to purposely dangle him in front of me was insulting.

I pulled myself together and plastered the sincerest smile I could to my face. Of course, Peter's face lit up when he saw me. Marc, who was checking me out with marked interest, didn't notice, so Peter quickly dimmed that light on his face before his partner could see it. I was sure Peter had given Marc an ear full about our relationship. I was sure of that. Judging by the resentment that was so clearly displayed on his face, the man that had once stolen my heart must have given his new lover a play-by-play of our time together.

I smiled brightly at my mother who stood to hug me. "Hey, baby." She greeted me, kissing me on the lips. We always did that. It was just our little affectionate mother-son thing. "How are you?"

"I'm great. How are you?" I asked squeezing her tightly to me.

"Oooh." She squeezed me back lovingly. "I'm doing just fine. Please. Have a seat."

"That's great to hear." I hugged Eleazar and Carmen who also stood.

"Hi, Jasper." They greeted me. "It's good to see that you are well."

"Thank, you. How have you guys been?" I asked, noticing Peter and his boyfriend still watching me. "Hope all is going well for you."

"Couldn't be better." Carmen said as they took their seats.

"Great." I rolled my tongue in my cheek and pulled out my chair. "Hey, Dad."

He took a sip of his water and nodded. "Talia finally turned you loose?"

I laughed and sat next to him, placing me precisely in front of Peter and his beau. _Damn!_ It was going to be hard to ignore them. "Oh, she's harmless. I love her. I'm sorry I'm late."

"No worries." I chuckled again and Dad winked at me. "She's is crushing on you big time. You know that right?"

I rolled my eyes and laughed again. "Yes...if a six-year old can crush on someone. She's quite adorable and she has an imagination bigger than this entire state."

"Well she does live in Texas and you know everything is bigger here and I guess that applies to imagination as well."

I laughed. "Precisely."

He laughed with me. "Where did she take you today?"

I sipped my water. "On a white elephant." Everyone laughed but the two men in front of me.

"Ah." He said. "Was there a _prince_ involved?"

I heard Peter sigh at the imagined notion that I might be entertaining someone else. I guess I should eventually address the big _white_ _elephant_ sitting at our table. Dad asked that question on purpose to get a quick rise out of Peter. He didn't like the idea that Peter was there with Marc especially after what he'd done to me, but since he and Eleazar were good friends, he went along with it. That was his way of scoring one for me.

_Go Dad!_

"Um. You know it." I had to oblige his attempt. "I told you she has a vivid imagination."

We met my eyes and I saw the satisfaction and laughter in his. I gave him the 'play nice' look. I decided to go ahead and address my ex, but he beat me to it.

"Jasper, how have you been?" He asked me, allowing his eyes to briefly roam my body. They told the story his mouth wanted to tell. Everyone else seemed as uncomfortable as I was. I looked at him and it was then that I saw a familiar look—regret. He'd missed me, and if I were judging him correctly, he seemed somewhat distant from his beau.

I reached for the bread on the table. "I am _great_." I smiled and forced my face to remain void of any emotion that would give away just how incredibly uncomfortable this was for me. "How have you been?"

Judging by the smug look on Marc's face, I had the strange suspicion that this little rendeavous was a staged attempt to satisfy his curiosity about me. _Marc_ wanted to meet me-maybe to size me up as if I represented some decent competition for him or something. If that were the case, that meant that somewhere along the way he'd recognized that Peter might still have feelings for me and he wanted to know what he was up against. Seriously, I was the least of his worries as far as that was concerned.

"Been doing well." Peter pointed to Marc. "Marc, this is Jasper. Jasper, Marc."

We nodded but didn't say anything, falling into an awkward silence.

"_So_." I broke the silence. I turned towards my father and took a long swig of my water. "Where are my children?"

Peter and Marc looked confused, but it was a well-known fact that Emmett's children were so close to me that I considered them like my own. Rosalie was pregnant with EJ when we broke up, but I was sure that he'd never met the kids.

"Emmett and Rosalie got caught up at work. They are running late." My father looked at his watch. "They should be here shortly."

"Good. I can't wait to see the boys." I chewed my bread slowly and swallowed.

"They're probably going to want to spend the night." Mom brushed her caramel locks out of her face. She was so beautiful. "That's all they've been talking about."

I shrugged. "That's alright. I'll have to take them back tomorrow because I promised Talia I would come play with her. She wants to do my hair."

"Nice." Eleazar and my Dad teased.

"Be sure to take a picture." Eleazar said. "And if she puts makeup on you, I'll take that one in an eight-by-ten."

I laughed softly, my shoulders shaking as I did so. "There's no telling about that girl." They laughed again. Little did they know, it wouldn't be the first time that sweet sugar lump bamboozled me into becoming her personal makeup model.

"Well, Em and Rose will probably have to work, so you can just bring them by house when you get ready to go see her." Mama told me. "Just call me when you get ready to drop them off so that I will be home."

"Oh, okay. Thank you. I will."

Peter looked curious. "Who is Talia?"

I cleared my throat. Careful not to disclose confidential information about my little friend, I proceeded to fill him in. "Talia is a patient at a hospital where I volunteer." He wasn't surprised by that at all. I'd always volunteered at hospitals and clinics, even when he and I were together. It was one of the things that irritated him and pleased him at the same time. He liked the fact that my heart was so big, but he just couldn't get with spending time away from him.

He smirked. "She's trying to hook you up with somebody?"

I chewed slowly, smiling and wiping my fingers on my napkin. "She is _always_ imagining something. She's a very sweet, adorable child. I love her dearly. She likes for me to come by and read and play with her. I've become very good friends with her and her family."

He sat silently listening to me, remarkably interested in my life. Marc focused on the bread on his plate. "Well it sounds like she really enjoys spending time with you. She thinks you need a prince?"

Marc gave him a strange look and I swallowed back a laugh. Apparently, the new boyfriend had clued into something that Peter was trying his best to keep hidden. He wasn't the only one who saw it. I too recognized the familiar longing in Peter's eyes. It was clear to me that on some level, he still had feelings for me.

I glanced down at the time on my cell phone. Our waiter came over to the table to see if we were ready to order, but since Emmett and his family were not here, everyone decided to wait a while longer. I remembered I needed to answer Peter's question.

"Talia believes in fairy tales." I sat my phone back down on the table. "I stopped believing in them a while ago."

He looked like I had socked him in the face. He along with everyone else at the table caught the innuendo. Before he could say something that was obviously going to fuel the knock-out fight that he and Marc were going to have when they left, Emmett and his crew showed up.

"Uncle Jasper!"

The boys bypassed everyone at the table and ran straight to me. I slid my chair backwards so they could jump in my lap. I laughed at their enthusiasim and hugged them as they giggled and squealed their delight at seeing me.

"I missed you guys so much!" I told them earning another round of giggles as I tickled their bellies.

"We missed you too." They told me. "Did you bring us something?"

"But of course. It's in the car. I will give it to you when we go outside."

"Okay!"

Emmett and Rosalie took their seats. They exchanged their greetings with everyone. They looked extremely tired.

"Long day?" I asked, smirking at my big brother. "What happened? Bear got the best of ya?"

He mouthed the words, "bite me," and I laughed. "For your info, bro, we had a very busy and long day. Some of us actually _work_ for our money."

I put the boys down when their mother motioned for them to be seated. I raised my hands. "You got it big bro."

He looked over at Peter and Marc and motioned towards them with his hand. "_Really_?"

"Em." My Dad chastised, giving him his 'shut-the-hell-up' look.

Emmett sighed and rolled his eyes. He refrained from saying anything else about the couple sitting next to him.

"So, little bro-"

_Here we go. _

The waiter came back and took our order.

"No!" I stated boldly before he could even mention his stupid idea of nominating me for that show. Everyone looked at me. Peter's eyes darted from me to Emmett. He like everyone other than my family was wondering what Emmett was up to.

He looked at our father. "You just _had_ to tell him. Didn't you?"

Dad just simply shrugged and Emmett shook him off.

"Anyway...Jazz, at least listen to me."

"No."

"Jasper, dude, this is a chance of a lifetime for you."

"No."

"Jasper!" He looked over at his children and leaned towards me and whispered through his teeth. "That is twenty-five nice little slices of heaven for you."

I cut my eyes at him and gave the waiter my order. Dad shook his head in utter disbelief. Everyone else was eagerly waiting for Emmett to get to the point of this discussion as they each placed their orders.

"I _don't care,_ Emmett." I said waving my hand. "It's stupid and out of the question. I'm not doing it and that's final."

Emmett gulped his water. "You have to. I already nominated you."

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter 'cause I'm still not doing it."

"Doing what?" Peter asked. My parents remained silent.

"Oh come on, Jazz!" Emmett ignored Peter's question. I shook my head 'no.' "Jazz listen…"

"Emmett, we are _done_ talking about this." I said firmly. "I said no and that's the end of it."

Dad cleared his throat but he didn't say anything. I met Peter's curious eyes.

"Phhh…whatever Jazz. You know you want to do this." Emmett kept going and I exhaled impatiently. I didn't want to create a scene and ruin our evening but if my brother wasn't going to drop this ridiculousness, I was going to bury my foot in his ass.

"Emmett, I swear-"

"Jasper." Dad chastised again. I glanced over at the boys and instantly swallowed the 'you-big-dick' insult I was about to hurl at him.

"Okay, Jazz. Just hear me out and then tell me no." He was so damn persistent.

"My answer will still be no even if I listen to your washed up idea." I clenched my fist. Everyone had stopped all side conversations and was listening intently to us now. Marc and Peter seemed considerately interested.

"Jasper, will you just at _least_ listen." He made some kind of gesture with his hands and stretched his eyes to indicate his need for me to hear him out. "Please."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "Ugh."

"Okay, then. Finally. Just listen to me. Damn." He wasted no time taking advantage of the brief opportunity I was giving him. He sat up in his chair and his biceps flexed as he extended his hands, palms up. He was so pumped about this. It was a shamed I had to let him down.

"Jazz, they are looking for a business type guy." I stared at him, halfheartedly paying attention to his explanation. However, he had Peter's full attention as well as Marc's. "Preferably one that's loaded." I rolled my eyes again. "_But_ that isn't a requirement. I told them that you were loaded but your wad doesn't rule you." I sipped my water and rolled my top lip to keep a piece of ice from falling back into the glass. Peter continued to follow our conversation.

"I'm listening." I said, crunching the ice in my mouth.

"Good. I also told them that you are one smart ass dude." Rosalie slapped his arms and motioned with her head towards the boys. He continued. "They liked the fact that you graduated from Harvard and that you are so young and the CEO of your _own_ company. Dude that's huge and they thought it was too! They are all over you!"

He paused.

"Emmett," I shrugged and shook my head in pure disbelief. "Just _how_ is it that you know what they liked if all you did was send in the nomination?" I asked wiping water from my lips with my napkin. "I'm mean, seriously. You seem to know a lot."

He looked at me as if I should already have the answer to my own question. "_Because_ little brother—they called me and I _sorta_, _kinda_…_pretended_…to…be…you."

He slumped a little in his chair but didn't cower the least bit under my black glare. I saw red and was madder than a wet hen. My nostrils flared and my face flushed three shades hotter. Rosalie quickly coaxed the children away from the table by offering to go play the arcade games startling everyone at the table.

I gripped Dad's forearm. "Dad, I'm 'bout to slap him." Marc and Peter looked at me wide-eyed. "I'm 'bout to slap…Dad…you better get him 'cause I'm 'bout to straight up slap the taste outta his mouth."

Mark laughed behind his fist. I ignored him.

"Emmett." Dad started. "You can't just assume Jasper's identity. What's wrong with you?" Everyone was totally engaged in this transaction. Peter and Marc watched me intently, especially Peter. He knew I was angry.

He shrugged. "Dad! I wasn't _assuming_ his identity. I just borrowed it for a minute. I would never want to walk around with a plunger up my ass."

Marc sniggered and I shot him a nasty look. "What the hell, Emmett?" I asked him. "Emmett, I swear you are such a dumb-ass. _Why_ would you do that?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't talk to them if they called you. I just helped you out bro. You could say thank you. That would be nice."

I shook my head again and slid into Rosalie's empty chair. I grabbed the front of his shirt and he responded by cackling at my aggression and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Boys that's enough!" Mama scolded us from across the table. "We are having dinner! Stop this right now!"

"Jasper, turn him loose." Dad said softly but firmly. I gripped Emmett's shirt tighter. "Now, please."

Emmett kept laughing. I obliged my father's request and let him go with a thud, pointing my finger in his face. "I'm going to kick your ass Emmett."

"Now stop this foolishness." Dad's voice was still firm and we knew he was trying to avoid a big confrontation in this restaurant. "Jasper, take your seat please."

"Oh, come, Jazzy." Emmett said straightening his shirt. He reached and shook my shoulders with his big, brawny hands. "Chin up, little one." I growled at him. He laughed. "All I did was talk to them. They love you. You are in their top ten."

"I DON'T CARE!" I told him trying to keep my voice low and even. "You shouldn't have done that."

Emmett raised his hands. "Alright. So I shouldn't have pretended to be you or give them _your_ permission to come to your office to video tape you…but…"

I spun wide-mouth towards my parents and pointed at him behind me. "Dad, Mom…I'm 'bout to bring this mother-freaking restaurant to the ground." I panted and my face was hotter than hell. "Dad, get your boy." I heard Emmett cackling behind me again and so were Marc and Peter. "Get your boy before I bury him."

"EMMETT!" They both scolded him.

"Emmett, tell me you didn't do that." Dad looked at him in total, earth-shattering disbelief.

I faced Emmett again. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID, EMMETT?"

I reached for him again but he threw up a block.

"Boys!" Mom and Dad scolded a little louder this time. They were clearly embarrassed as their friends looked on. "That's enough. We can talk about this later. Now is not the time or the place for this conversation." Mom looked around the table and I continued to glare at Emmett.

"There's nothing left to discuss, Mom." I said, not taking my eyes off of my hefty brother. "Emmett, stay the hell out of my life and mind your own business!"

"Jazz, first of all, you ain't got no business, so stop all of that damn whining. Second, you are the right kind of guy who would be outgoing enough to date twenty-five men and be on national television."

I jumped for him again but he quickly maneuvered out of my way.

"Jazz, be cool. Listen. You are already out of the closet, so why not be out to the entire nation." He looked over at Peter. "No offense dude, but when you dumped Jasper for this guy, you left him wide open. That's a good thing. Now he can have twenty-five flavors to try whenever he gets ready."

"Emmett!" My parents admonished him. Peter's faced turned several shades redder with humiliation. Emmett ignored all of them and focused on me again.

"Jazz, Peter left you wide open for a big opportunity like this. Think about it…all those guys going crazy over you and you might just finally get wet-nut over here out of your system." I covered my face in embarrassment as did my parents. Emmett had absolutely no filters. I looked up in time to see the waiter bringing our dinner. Peter was so ashamed. I actually felt sorry for him.

"Emmett that is enough." My father told him firmly. Emmett tried to protest but my father gave him the "I'm done" look.

He sighed. "Oh, alright, but Jazz at least think about what I'm saying. You will be staying in that bachelor pad, publicly as a gay man, romantic enough to date twenty-five very willing men." It just amazed me that as straight as my brother was, he was so comfortable with all of this. "There will be a lot of interviewing and questions. They will want to know if you are ready to get married, which you are. Now is a great time for you to settle down, to really get to know some different people, people who aren't going to hang you up or throw you out with the trash."

Peter was about ready to die. He was thoroughly appalled and utterly embarrassed that Emmett had called him out like that. Actually part of this was his fault. He knew how Emmett was and yet he still brought his boyfriend out to dinner knowing full well that I would be present. I saw him grip Marc's wrist to keep him from exploding in his seat. That would have been one more ugly fight that would have probably resulted in someone going to jail and someone going to the hospital.

"Jazz you're twenty nine years old, and you're ready to move on." He pressed. "You can go and have good time, gain some fame, do something entirely off the charts and change your life forever. You get to go on all of those fabulous vacations and make your little gay self extremely happy with all of those half naked men."

"Emmett." I sighed and slid back into my chair so I could eat my food before it got cold. "Please shut up."

"Yes." Mom interjected. "Please do that, Emmett."

"So you'll think about it?"

I was fuming. I didn't answer him.

"Jazzy?"

I dropped my fork on the plate. Everyone looked at me. My face was tight and I was livid. "Emmett, if I say I will think about it, will you just _please _back the hell up off of me?"

He laughed and winked. "You're going to be the best bachelor ever." He rubbed his hands together.

"I said I would think about it. I don't plan on going, but I just want you to shut up."

"Got it." He started cutting his steak. "Shutting…to…the…up."

I secretly wasn't planning on thinking about anything. I just wanted to get him off my back and to give my ex a mental break. This was supposed to be a family dinner and he'd pretty much ruined it. Eleazar and Carmen were decently insulted by his remarks towards their son and despite my parents apologizing; they were visibly upset by his crudeness.

"I will shut up, but only because I love you. I know that at the end you will be a lot happier and you will…" He looked over at Peter. "…be able to make new friends and hopefully be able to distinguish between real love and a crush. You just might find a man who is _actually_ a right match for you. The show lasts for nine weeks, and if you go into the show thinking that this process could work for you, you could be madly in love with Mr. Right and finally be truly happy."

As much as I hated to admit it, he did make a valid argument. Much to Peter's chagrin, he'd pretty much told the truth. I knew my brother genuinely loved me and he was only doing this because he cared so much about me. He got on my last nerve, but he and I were close. I had always trusted him and looked up to him, so for him to be so adamant about this meant that he really felt like this could work for me. I didn't think he would have done it otherwise. He would never set me up for something that was dangerous or that he felt wasn't right for me. He certainly wouldn't set me for heartbreak or failure. I just shook my head and exhaled loudly.

"Alright, Emmett. I will think about it." I tasted my steak. It was still hot and I was ready to eat. "On one condition."

"Okay." He said as Rosalie and the kids joined us again.

"Stop pretending to me. Give them my number and let me talk them."

He looked doubtful as if he suspected I was planning on never answering that phone.

"I said I would think about it." I told him.

"Alright, but don't be trying to avoid their calls and stuff."

"Emmett, leave Jasper alone about all of this." Rosalie said preparing her boys food for them. "Since when are you such a match maker?"

"Since my little brother got tossed." He put a piece of his steak in his mouth and gave Peter an "I-wish- you-might-try" look. "And since he's available and perfect for it, and since he's going to be an outstanding husband and father one day real soon." He winked at me. "And because with that big ole heart of his, he deserves it."

I dropped my head and smiled, focusing on my steak. I guess it wouldn't hurt to at least think about it.

A/N: Up next Jasper talks to his brother alone about this and then his father before he makes his decision. Please review. Thanks.


End file.
